


Lights from Below

by Candy2theCore



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reverse Falls, Blood, Eye Trauma, Fluff, Gore, Human!Will, Hurt!Will, M/M, Title Subject to Change, Vampire!Dipper!, Vampires, cute will my poor baby, impulse post, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-01-15 18:16:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12326280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candy2theCore/pseuds/Candy2theCore
Summary: With how long Dipper had been alive, you'd think he'd be used to blood by now. But something about this kid... He wants to rip into his flesh and drink him dry. Watch as his pale body bleeds out on the floor and colors his skin scarlet. Wants to make a beautiful mess out of William.But he can't.He won't.He won't let himself destroy something so precious. Something so... delicious.  Delicate.





	1. Chapter 1

Cold brown eyes flicked across the valley laid out in front of them. The height he stood at was high, at least a few hundred feet. The wind tore at his clothes, pulling him precariously closer to the edge of the cliff, and stinging his eyes with snowflakes. But the figure didn’t make a move to step back. If anything he stood closer, staring straight down at the rushing water. It would be freezing this time of year, and his death would be cold and slow until he saw black. Not a bad way to go, all things considered.  
He imagined the fall, his stomach dropping and wind rushing past his ears, howling, the feeling of falling for too long, too fast ringing in his head. And then the splash, and the envelopment of cold. At these temperatures, his body might freeze a few seconds after he hit the water. And then his lungs would start to burn, and the currents would toss him against rocks until he either hit his head, or couldn’t find air.

  
He edged forward, his toe a mere inch from the edge of the cliff as the wind swept around him. It pushed against his back, whispered against his ear, telling him to take the plunge, to fall, to just jump. It would be so easy. Just a few seconds, and this existence would be all over.

 

If he were human.

 

That was the catch. He could jump, feel the exhilaration swing through his veins before his supernatural brain would take over, and self preservation would overtake. His instincts would somehow save him before he hit the water, latching his body on the cliff wall by his claws alone and then haul his ass over the ridge until he was safe again. Or if he did make it to the water, his lack of need for oxygen would keep him alive, and then his instinct would climb his body back up the cliff.  
This experience wasn’t the best, and often he dealt with severe multiple personality disorder after a run in with his instincts. These side effects were annoying, and headaches became common. Definitely not worth the trouble.  
But he jumped anyway.

 

* * *

 

Mabel didn’t even spare him a second glance when he came home sopping wet, slunking up the stairs towards his room. Snow and dirt soaked into the expensive carpets and rugs, leaving muddy footprints in his wake. He threw open the door to his room, heading for his en-suite as he pulled off his shirt. He flung his sopping wet clothes in the bathtub, and slid on a dry pair of jeans. The door to his room was then shut tightly, and the window opened. Dipper sat under the window, watching the snowflakes gather on his hand. They piled up until his hand was covered in snow. Of course, he couldn't feel the cold. or rather, it didn't bother him like it would a human. 

  
“Dipper, close the window. We’re not paying to heat the outdoors.” His sister walked in, examining his medical diploma with disinterest.  
“We’re not paying to heat anything.” He grumbled. Mabel rolled her eyes as she wiped a finger along his shelf, eyeing the dust with distaste. “Can I help you, sister dear?” There was always something Mabel wanted. And as often was the case, Mabel would get what she wanted.

  
“Get out of bed Dipshit. Find something to do.”  
“Like what?” He groaned, sitting up to glare at her. She cocked a hip, and smirked.  
“Well, I was going to go down and terrorize Gideon Pines, if you’d like to join.” There it was. The catch to her line. Dipper didn’t take the bait.

  
“I would suggest that you practice your social skills alone Mabel. It might do you good to learn some manners.”  
“Pacifica will be there.” She taunted.  
“Ew, no.” Dipper recoiled at the thought of the bubbly blonde human. “I’ll stay home, dear sister. Go enjoy your exploits alone, please and thank you.”  
“You’ve lost your sense of fun, brother.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder, and walked out of his room, heels clacking on the hardwood. He watched her go, and then pulled back to flop onto the bed.

She was right, in a way. Life no longer held his interest. Blood was bland and cold because Mabel nor himself drank from live humans. Being immortal was extremely overrated. The days were endless, being unable to sleep left literally hours upon hours of time to kill and Dipper was finding it hard to occupy all his extra time now that he was the object of many local girl’s affections, fluent in at least ten languages (he’d lost track after that), and a successful business owner of a magic show with his sister. Each unnecessary breath was a painful reminder he was still alive, just another burden, another set of feet to add to the dull rhythm of the earth. Perhaps… Mabel was right. With more money than he could possibly imagine, maybe he’d actually become.. Dull.

 

Ha.  
How cruel.

 

Similar to his sire, life left him with nothing but pain, an overbearing sister, and the knowledge that this existence was futile. His sire was an ass. Left him with nothing more than a quick bite, and a _“Welcome to hell,”_ before disappearing into the shadows.

 

The shadows that he sank into had grown, covering Dipper in complete darkness as he waited for something, anything to happen. For death. For excitement. For love, dare he say it. Even as he lay there, with snow blanketing his skin, he felt empty. Cold. Narrow, and thin and alone. But surely there had to be something there. Surely. Something, Anything. Please.

 

At this point, he might’ve been praying.

 

But then there was something. A gentle tugging in his gut.

 

And then he was moving.

 

He wasn’t quite sure what prompted him to act, but he found himself lacing up his boots and putting on a shirt and pants. He snatched his car keys from the hook near the door, and soon he was speeding down the highway into town.

  
Drab brown and gray buildings passed by in a blur as he sped through the late evening light. The sleepy town of Gravity Falls wasn’t much, if anything it was a tourist trap that the locals milked. There was a diner, a pool, a grocery store, and a town hall. A few other stores and a gas station, the car dealership down the road. Nothing of any real importance. One could only go so far before ending up back at the end of the town.

  
His destination was unknown, but as he took a hairpin turn down a tight alleyway, something pastel blue flashed in the fading light. The tug in his gut shot back into his spine, a shocking surprise that left him breathless and on impulse he hit the brakes.

  
A young man sat against the wall, a bloody bandage wrapped tightly around his right eye. His hair, which had attracted Dipper’s attention in the first place was a pale blue, and matted together with mud, blood, and grime until it almost wasn’t blue. His face was dirty, and the black hoodie he wore dwarfed his small frame, the cuffs passing his wrists.

  
Dipper rolled down the window, and instantly wished he hadn’t. The smell of fresh blood was heavy, and thick on his tongue as he tried to calm down. His gut pulled this way and that, roiling in turmoil at the conflict. The lust centered drive to seduce and kill for a fresh bite, or… protect? Seriously? What he now recognized as his instincts were fighting, kicking tooth and nail to get their way. And this boy would not be dying tonight.

  
It was almost comical, how his animalistic side wanted Dipper to cradle this boy in his arms, while Dipper’s logical thinking brain said that no one would notice if this boy went missing. Amidst this mental argument, the smell had grown stronger, wafting across Dipper’s face with a warmth and a _pound, pound pound_ of a promising heartbeat. And although he wanted nothing more than to trick this boy into the back of his car to taste, his instincts had managed to pull the reins away from logic, and Dipper wasn’t sure what he was doing.

The kid had looked up and over, eyes watching with fear as Dipper opened the door, stepping out.  
_What am I doing?_ Dipper thought to himself as he asked,

  
“Are you alright?” The boy flinched, and tugged on his sleeves. His response was quiet.  
“I-I’m f-fine.” The stutter was rather obvious, and it wasn’t hard for Dipper to sense the fear wafting off the boy with that amazing, tempting, smell-  
Dipper mentally shook himself, and approached the boy slowly.  
“How’d you get hurt?”

  
“I s-sa-said I’m-I-I’m fi-i-ine.” The boy curled up, recoiling from Dipper with a shudder.  
“I won’t hurt you,” Dipper held out his hands as he approached, and dropped into a crouch in front of the boy. “My name’s Dipper.” Dipper waited as the boy shifted, eye flicking from Dipper’s face to the fancy car to the ground, and then Dipper again. “What’s your name?”

  
“W-willi-will-willia-willia-i-am.” the boy stuttered, and Dipper swallowed. That scent was irresistible, if he could just sink his fangs into that pale, thin neck and-  
“It’s nice to meet you William.” he said, tonguing at the back of his teeth. Now, how to invite trust into this. He had to be careful, or he’d spook the boy, and his instincts were making it clear that would be very bad. “Do you mind if I sit with you?” Dipper crossed his legs underneath him, ignoring the soak of snow into his pants.

  
“D-do wh-what-ev-ever.” The boy muttered, tucking his wrists towards his chest, resting his forehead on his knees. Dipper glanced over at him, noting the slight shivering as the sun set. It was pretty dark now, and the human seemed to be freezing. Taking into account blood loss and the shock from whatever had happened to his eye and the freezing temperatures of early January, it wasn’t very healthy for the kid to be out this late and in such a condition.  
“Do you fall?” Dipper asked. The boy said nothing. “Got shot?” His hands shifted. “Surgery?” The eye closed. Alright. Think Dipper. Humans are fragile, what else could’ve done this? “Knife?”

  
The boy flinched so hard he slammed back into the wall, hands moving up to cover up his other eye as he scrambled away from Dipper.  
**Damn it, way to go Dipshit.**  
“Hey, hey it’s okay. See? No weapons.” Dipper held out his hands, and backed up a little. The boy looked at him with a wide eyed gaze, fear obvious as he slowly lowered his hand from his face.

  
“Have you gotten it checked out?”  
“N-no-o.” Will shifted. “I c-can’t p-pay f-for i-it.”  
“Would you let me look at it?”

  
“Wh-wh-why- do you c-ca-are?” Will said, his tone distrustful. **Fix this Dipshit, or he’ll never trust you.**  
“Well, I don’t think you’d like to to get infected. I just want to check it out and make sure it’s healing properly. I’ve got a degree in the medical field.” Dipper said softly, trying to make his tone as soothing as possible. It wasn’t a lie, and what else was Dipper supposed to have done with his time? That hobby had quickly bored him, humans were simply too fragile and should be happy they got to live as long as they did. **But this one can’t die,** his instincts slapped him. **He’s got to survive.**

_Why?_

No response there. F _abulous._ “We’ll head back to my place, okay? And then, maybe I can take you home? Where do you live?” William shifted, eye averting as a pale blush grew on his face.

Then it hit Dipper.

  
_He’s homeless._

**Great move, dick head.**

  
“Is there somewhere you’d like to go?”  
“J-just… l-look at it.” William muttered.  
“Alright. Can I help you stand?” Dipper got up on the balls of his feet, offering his hands to William. The boy took them hesitantly. His hands were freezing, considering he was human. And damn he smelled so good. There was the smell again, six inches from his nose, and warm, and delicious, like a buttery pastry- Dipper pushed that thought to the back of his mind.  
“Are you dizzy at all?” _I sure am._  
“A-l-litt-ittle.”  
“Okay, keep talking to me okay? How old are you?” Dipper quickly ushered William to the car, helping him into the passenger seat.  
“Ni-nineteen.”

  
“Are you in school?” Dipper made sure the human had a seat belt, and then peeled out of the alley with a screech. The smell of blood was so strong Dipper had to hold his breath, forcing his chest to move pointlessly and staring ahead at the road as his knuckles tightened over the steering wheel.  
“W-was.”  
“What department?” Dipper asked, taking a tiny breath. G _od._  
“Sc-sci-ence-ence.” William said, his voice growing quiet as his head lolled.  
“Hey, stay with me okay? Keep talking. What kind of science?”  
“U-uhm. Uh- su-su-per-per-perna-natur-ral-ral and m-my-myths, s-so-ome…. M-m-ar-arine-ine Bi-bi-biol-ol-ogy...” William looked really pale. That couldn’t be good. **OF COURSE IT’S NOT.**

  
“Hang on, we’re almost there.” Dipper silently cursed himself for choosing to live out of town so far. So, glancing over at the human, who looked like he might pass out, he killed the lights, and floored the gas.

  
They arrived within five minutes, and Dipper had William out of the car. The human could barely stand on his own, stumbling around and finally Dipper pulled him up into his arms to rush him inside. With the smell so close, Dipper could barely focus on unlocking the garage door.

  
William’s head lolled to the side, and Dipper took in a sharp breath as a long pale neck was presented to him. He bit into his lip, snarling under his breath as he rushed William to the kitchen. The bandage was now soaked in blood, dripping down onto the floor and marble counter top. Mabel wouldn’t be happy about that.  
Will was limply laying against the cold surface, shivering and getting paler. For a moment, everything slowed down, and Dipper wondered what to do. Obviously he couldn't just let Will bleed out on his kitchen counter. And then his instincts hit him upside the head.

  
**YOU’RE A VAMPIRE DIPSHIT. BLOOD. THAT THING THAT KEEPS THESE FLASHBAGS ALIVE?** Right. That. A quick blood transfusion would possibly do the trick, and supply Will with the means to survive the upcoming trauma. But then arose the problem of blood type. Finding that out would require Dipper to taste that delicious thick- No. that was… sadly not entirely out of the question. With trembling fingers, Dipper brought a bloody finger to his lips, and closed his eyes.

  
Sweet. Sugar and spice and god, everything nice. Tart against his tongue, but gentle mint. The addiction nearly drove Dipper towards Will’s neck, which, long and pale, called to him with that of a candy store to a child, had him bending over will’s shaking form, teeth bared and a growl lodged in his throat. **TYPE AB.** He shoved himself away from the table, stumbling back shoving that divine and mind altering taste to a corner of his brain to wander over later.

  
Thinking quickly, Dipper grabbed an appropriate bag of blood from the fridge, and his old medical supplies from a cupboard in the hall. Ripping the plastic packaging with his teeth, Dipper set up the tube and needle, grabbing Will’s elbow and feeling for the vein. Quickly he slid the needle under the human’s skin.  
“Wh-what are you…” Will trailed off., head turning lightly.  
“Just try to stay awake okay? I’m giving you some blood, and and soon as I get this hooked up I can look at your eye.”  
“Nnn…..”

  
“Yeah, me too kid,” Dipper sighed, hooking up the bag and setting it out of his way. He then managed to pry Will’s hand form his face, and pull the bandages away. The scent was strong and powerful, and Dipper could feel his fangs shoot through his gums straight to his lips. He kept them there, trying to hold his breath against the onslaught of absolute heaven that was coming off of this boy. He blinked rapidly, and then looked down. A large gushing X was slashed across William’s eye socket, the skin invisible behind the pool of blood. He grabbed a rag, and pressed it against the socket. Will let out a muffled scream, his breaths coming fast and heavy, and Dipper made a low hissing sound.

  
“Try to stay still, and awake. I know it hurts, but I need to stop the bleeding.”  
“It h-hur-hurts, D-dipp-per-er-er it h-h-h-hur-t-ts!” Will stuttered, trying to throw off Dipper’s hand.

  
“What’s going on?” Dipper looked up to see Mabel's standing in the kitchen, and concerned Gideon gleeful behind her.  
“Mabel, I need you to go get as many bandages as you can find. Pines, for once make yourself useful and go get some antiseptic. Now!” Dipper shouted finally. Mabel sped off, and after a moment, Gideon followed suit.

“Will are you still awake?” Dipper turned to look at Will. The human’s hands were clutched around Dippers, trying to pry him off. Limbs were flailing and Will was screaming bloody murder. “I'd say that’s a yes,” Dipper muttered quietly, reaching for the soiled bandages and wadding up the only clean portion to press against Will’s eye. “Will, I need you to calm down. You’re gonna be fine.okay? Mabel! Where’re those bandages?!” Gideon appeared at his shoulder, handing him a packet of antiseptic medical wipes.  
“Hold his wrists.” Dipper instructed, carefully pulling the rag away from Will’s eyes. Gideon quickly grabbed Will’s wrists so the boy wouldn’t hurt himself as Dipper examined the socket. There was less blood, but that would soon change of Dipper didn't move fast. Dipper ripped open a packet of wipes.

  
“Will, I need you to breathe, because this is going to hurt.” Dipper said, holding the wipe above the socket.

  
“It’s Will, right?” Gideon said softly. He reached out, and wiped a few tears from Will’s face. “Hey, I want you to look at me, alright? Just at me, don’t worry about anything else, alright?” Will’s eye swivelled, and settled on Gideon’s face as Dipper gently dabbed at the empty socket with a wipe. Will whimpered, hands clenching into fists.  
“Where’s Mabel?” Dipper hissed.

  
“The blood…” Gideon started. “She said it made her faint.” Oh. of course.  
“Go get bandages.” Gideon quickly left, returning with an arm full. Dipper quickly grabbed some gauze from the stack, folding it into a neat square and setting it over Will’s eye. The boy wailed, and closed his good eye.

  
“Lift his head,” Dipper said. Gideon complied, and Dipper wrapped a long bandage around Will’s head.  
“C-can-an I sl-sl-sl e-ee-e-p-slee-ep pl-pleas-ease?” Will hiccuped. Dipper took a calming breath.  
“Yeah, you can sleep now.” Dipper told him, stepping away for a second to wash his hands in the sink. When they were dry, he turned and gathered Will into his arms, balancing the body in one arm, and holding the blood bag in the other. The boy fell asleep quickly, head tucked under Dipper’s chin. He left him in the main guest room, leaving the transfusion tube in his arm. He took a last look at Will, bloodsoaked and unconscious, then left the room.  
When he returned to the kitchen, Gideon asked,  
“Why do you have a bag of blood?”

 _Shit._  
“I’ll explain that later Pines. Go sit with Will while I clean up.” Dipper’s tone grew hard and frowning, Gideon left the room.

Dipper went through two bottles of bleach to get the smell out, and threw out the soiled rags sometime after. He was in the middle of wiping down the counter with disinfectants and sanitizers when Mabel cautiously walked into the room.

  
“Blood’s gone now.” he said, dumping the wipes into the trash.  
“Good.”  
“Also, Gideon’s wondering why we have blood in our fridge.”  
“Shit, what did you tell him?” Mabel said, concern growing on her face.  
“I told him we’d explain later. That’s your job now.”  
“Dipper….” she whined.  
“No, he’s your snack, you have to explain it to him. He wasn’t even supposed to be here. What were you two doing?” Mabel looked down, and Dipper sighed.  
“Please tell me you weren't having sex in the hall bathroom.”

  
“It’s wasn’t sex!” she protested. “Just… you know..”  
“Okay, now you're cleaning that too. Just... Clean up after yourself Mabel.” He sighed, and left his sister in the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm so happy that everyone's loved this work so far, and I've managed to edit another chapter! updates will most likely be very slow only because i'm a slow edit, and edits to this chapter may come. I'll let you know about any major plot changes, but so far there are none.  
> Please let me know what you think, , questions, comments, thoughts ideas concerns, etc. 
> 
> i intended this to be a ficlet.... and it turned into a full bloomed thingamabob... heheheh *scratches head confusedly*
> 
> enjoy? i guess?  
> yeah.
> 
> This chapter is prone to change.

William could remember pain. The sharp sting of the blade to his eye. It had dulled, and then when the man - Dipper - had put him in the car, it had sharpened to a minute point, and he felt like someone was vigorously rubbing salt into his eye socket while injecting acid into his pupil. Shooting and sharp, like the knife had originally felt. And then he couldn’t remember.

Something about more agony… but that had fallen to a dull throb in time with his heartbeat. His head felt heavy, and a thick bandage covered his eye. A bandage had been wrapped around his elbow, soft covers were tucked under his chin, and a plush pillow cushion his head.

Despite the comforts of luxury, the only word that could describe his physical being was shit. Everything ached, his ears felt like they’d been ringing, and his eye felt… well, like someone had stabbed it out of his skull. _Gee, I wonder why. It’s not like you’re missing an eye or anything. That would hurt._

Pushing that thought away for a moment, Will took a moment to examine his surroundings. The room he lay in was large, probably a guest room in practice. The ceiling held a pattern of a galaxy subtly painted into the grey plaster. Flecks of silver jumped out occasionally as the light hit them. Crown mouldings lined the walls and windows, enclosing the space. Sunlight spilled lazily into the room, warming over Will's legs with a gentle ambiance that he hadn’t felt in along time.

He closed his eye, and let his neck relax, feeling his head sink down further into the pillows.

And although his head throbbed, and his eye was gone, all felt right.  
Whole and complete.  
Peaceful.

 

Then the door opened, and Dipper Gleeful stood in the doorway, a lunch tray held in his arms. Dipper wasn’t exactly a stranger. He was a bit of a celebrity in Gravity Falls, and his magic show was pretty popular with the dull minded townsfolk. Rumor had it Dipper was quite the player, but looking at Dipper’s expression, Will figured that was just gossip. He face was too kind, if that was possible.

“Good afternoon,” He smiled, and Will suddenly felt very small. Even with the amenity that followed Dipper, Will felt the instinctual need to hide from Dipper’s blue gaze. Attractive… probably charming and eloquent, but something just… doesn’t add up? Or maybe I'm just paranoid. Dipper set the tray on the bedside table, and turned to Will.

“How do you feel? Any pain?” Will swallowed past the lump in his throat.  
“M-my head h-hur-hurts a little-ittle.” His voice came out raspy, like he’d downed a bucket of sand. He swallowed again.

“Here,” Dipper handed him glass of water. “Slowly,” Will took the glass with shaky hands, sipping lightly, and taking momentary pleasure in the liquid sliding down his throat. He took his time, finished the whole glass sip by sip, until he handed it back to Dipper empty.

“On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?” Dipper asked as he took a seat next to the bed.  
“The-three.” Will shrugged again. “U-um, wh-where am-am I?”  
“My house. It’s a bit outside of Gravity Falls, mostly to stave off crazed fans.” Dipper shook his head, ran a hand through his hair. “How much do you remember?”

“I was-as in a n-ni-ni-i-i-ce c-ca-ar- nice-c-car, with-with y-you-ou,” Will felt his face flushing, embarrassed for his stutter. He felt like he was taking a test, and failing. Dipper didn’t seem to notice, only nodded along.

“I brought you inside and started a blood transfusion. To say the least I disinfected your eye. It was… pretty bad.” Dipper said quietly.

 _How does he know my blood type? How did he give me a blood transfusion? What was he even doing in that part of town? How the fuck do I know that he used the right kind of blood? What if he didn’t? Oh god, I've got leukemia… Or-or an STD, Oh god, I don’t have the money to pay for this!_ Before he could voice any of these concerns, Dipper was pulling open the bedside table drawer and asking,

“Do you mind if I look at your eye?” he slid on some rubber gloves. Will swallowed around the lump in his throat, but nodded, trying to shove past the concerns raging war in his mind.

The bandages came off, and Dipper tilted Will’s head in either direction. The cold air felt strange against his mutilated eyelid, and resisted the urge to shy away from Dipper’s gentle hands. When Dipper wrapped it back up again, his face was calm, pleasant even.  
“It doesn’t look infected, which is good. I'm going to ask that you stay here until it completely heals.” Dipper sanitized his hands, and cleared his throat. “Obviously you won’t be able to see out of that eye again.” _Does this mean I can’t go back to Pyronica? Of course it does, I can’t burden her anymore than I have._  
“Do you have any questions?” _Only fifty million._  
“How d-did you kno-o-ow my blo-o-od ty-y-pe-pe?” Dipper regarded Will with a neutral expression.  
“Tests.”  
“A-and you-you just-ust-ust happen-ened-ened to -to have-have the-the-equi-quip-quip-uip-ment-ment on h-han-and?” Dipper made a dismissive gesture.

“Are you hungry?” The question was so abrupt for a moment Will forgot about the blood thing. But not completely. Bastard. “Think you can stomach a grilled cheese sandwich?”Will nodded, and watched as Dipper picked up a plate from the tray. So far, his caretaker was young, hot and a medical professional who could also cook and produce blood types on the fly. where did the extra blood come from?  
“...Will?” Oh, shit.  
“Y-yeah?”  
“Sit up? It will be easier to eat.”

“O-oh, r-right.”Will pushed his arms under his torso, straining the muscles in his arms to push himself upright against the pillows. Dipper held his shoulder gently, helping him settle down into the pillows. He handed Will the sandwich on a plate, with instructions to eat slowly.  
Will bit into the sandwich, but didn't taste anything. His mind was elsewhere as he thought over everything.  
The past week's’ events spun over in his head, jumbling together and spinning. He swallows around the texture of the sandwich, feeling it hit his stomach.

Dipper watched him quietly, eyes moving from Will’s face to the sandwich and back again. Will wondered if those piercing blue eyes hel x ray powers.  
And with that thought came theories. Supernatural and radioactive spiders. Dipper sat ramrod straight, hands folded in from of him, completely still. Not a hair out of place. Twilight came to mind, and Will almost choked on his sandwich. Quick eyes, not body ticks, no movement, killer hair, _-oh that was a terrible pun._

And then Will shoved that down. There was no way Dipper was a vampire. It was too cliche.  
Too surreal.  
There was no way.  
Right?  
“How’s the sandwich?” and just like that, Dipper was moving again, hands fiddling, foot swaying lightly, position shifting. Must be the shock. People hallucinate after shock right? Or is that after shrooms? Probably shrooms…. _But when did I eat shrooms? Are they in the sandwich? No, I can’t taste any. Maybe ground up? Shroom dust? Is that even a thing? Maybe I'm going insane. Probably totally insane.._  
“It’s g-good.”Will managed.  
“That’s a relief. I'm not much of a cook.”Will offered a smile, and swallowed, trying to forget the familiar taste of cheese and butter.

Pyronica used to make him sandwiches. She’d make them after she dyed his hair. That pastel blue calmed will, calmed his anxiety. Pyronics was more than willing to help with that. Humming under her breath as she applied the dye. Her fingers were always gentle. Always there to wipe away his tears. Always there to hold him. Always gently.  
So different from tad’s . so different from his cold detachment.  
“For your own good,” he’s said. “Don’t deserve to see out of that eye.” Watched with icy blue. Watched as Will screamed, holding the photograph. Watched as they carved out will’s eye.  
Will hadn’t gone back to pyroncia. He’d ripped up his shirt, tied the strips around his eye, and leaned against that alley wall. Had waited patiently for death. He’d never meant to look at the package. Never meant to trip and watch the contents fall onto the muddy sidewalk. They were blackmail after all. For different gang. Only ad was supposed to see the contents. The pictures that Will had glanced at.  
But there was no way he could go back to arancia now not when tad could find his weaken=ess so easily. Now when he could lead that monster right to pyronica.  
And that was it.  
There would be no more hair dye.  
No more grilled cheese in her tiny kitchen. No more calm.  
All of it, so pyronica could be safe.  
So her baby could be safe.

“..wil?:  
“S-sorry.. wh-what?”  
“I asked if your stutter is hereditary. Are you alright?”  
“I’m fi-fine.” Will set the sandwich down on the plate, his stomach churning. “I wouldnt’ kno--ow. I n-nev-er-er-er knew-e-ew my-my moth-oth-other.”  
“And your father?” Will shook his head.  
“Hmm..” Dipper said nothing more.Will stared at his hands. Finally, Dipper seemed to realize that Will was done.  
“Full then? How’s your eye?”  
“Hurts a little-itt-little.”  
“Would you like some pain medication?”  
“N-no , I think-ink I'll just-just sleep…” Will sunk down under the covers.  
“Alright. I'll come check on you in a few hours. Sweet dreams”  
Dipper smiled, took the food tray, and left the room.

Will did not have sweet dreams. Tad stood over Pyronica, holding a knife to her tongue, a gun to her belly.  
“For her own good.” he said. “So she’ll never betray me again.”  
The gun fired, and blood dripped from her throat.  
Will woke in a cold sweat.  
Silent tears betrayed him as he cried. They stung the wound, but he could only wait. And silently cry as he realized that it was a good chance he’d never see Pyronica again.

 

About an hour later, Will had finally stopped crying. He felt dehydrated, exhausted. His temples throbbed, adding to the pain. Everything hurt. He probably should’ve asked for painkillers. His skull throbbed, his throat hurt, his joints ached. The bruises along his rib felt worse.  
It hurt to breath.  
It hurt to think.  
He didn’t want to sleep. Didn’t want to go back to his nightmares. Didn’t want to .  
But his body had other ideas. So he sank into nothing again.

Over the next couple of perhaps hours, or maybe days,Will hovered between consciousness and night terrors. Reliving the pain and trauma of the knife plunging into his eye.  
The pain.  
The fear.  
The panic.  
Vaguely, he could see two figures in the room when he next awoke, talking quietly. Now the knife was simply sticking out of his eye. It was agony. The switching between illusion and reality. Pain refined to a single point, burned into his being.

The was a young women by the bed, eyes trained on a book as she turned pages methodically. There was a cool cloth on his forehead. Blanket tucked under his chin. IV hooked into his arm.  
It was quiet.  
Peaceful.  
Calm.  
And for once in a long while, Will fell into a dreamless and relieving sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, questions comments thoughts ideas concerns *cough* comments *cough* plz?
> 
> thanks again!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Story time. Shopping.

The door closed silently as Dipper slipped into the hall. He could hear Will's breathing through the door, steady and even, healthy. Dipper knew better. He’d have to get Will some medicine soon, or his eye would definitely get infected. Will also needed new clothes. And probably a bath of some kind. Dipper through a mental checklist together of things to buy, adding clothing and toiletries to the list. 

With the purpose to buy everything he needed in one trip in mind, Dipper walked down the grand staircase, turning off the hall light as he went. He passed the sitting room, which contained Mabel and Gideon conversing quietly. Mabel had seated Gideon with his back turned to Dipper. In a moment of childish teasing, he grinned at Mabel behind Gideon’s back and stuck his tongue out. He received an icy glare in return, and he grinned, allowing his canines to show, miming biting into a neck. Mabel frowned, shooting a hard look at her brother.

“Mabel I-is something wrong?” Stumbling in her excuse, she tried to pleasant her features at Gideon’s question. 

“Nothing, Just thinking love. You were saying?” Dipper snickered quietly to himself as he pulled on his coat, waiting for a good moment to interrupt. He had a favor to ask Mabel. He stood in the doorway, listening to Gideon babble on about some new mystery in the forest. Something about Gnomes? 

“Mabel,” he finally prompted. Gideon jumped, spinning around in his seat to stare at him. Dipper resisted the urge to growl playfully. 

“What is it, Dipper?”

“Could I ask you to do a favor for me?”

“That depends.” she said, her expression unamused. 

“I need you to stay with Will while I’m out.”

“Why do you-” he gave her a pointed look and she sighed, then nodded. 

“Gideon, I’ll have a driver take you home. Remember our dinner tonight, formal dress.”

“Is everything okay?” Gideon looked terrified of Dipper, eyes flicking between the twins. 

“Of course. We just need to keep an eye on Will… so to speak.” Mabel suppressed a laugh. “I’ll send for you at seven, alright?”

“I’ll see you then.” he said, reaching up to embrace Mabel, his expression disappointed, but resigned. She pressed a kiss to Gideon’s forehead, and watched him walk down the hall. Dipper nodded to Gideon as he passed. 

“What specifically do you need me to do?”

“The same as last time.”

“For how long?”

“Just until I get back.” She frowned, but nodded. 

“Don't be too long. You never know when my hand could slip.” she offered a cheshire cat  smile. Dipper snarled, flashed his teeth and left the room at the thought of anything happening to will.

His relationship with his sister was borderline abusive, some would say. Taunting each other, the occasional threat of violence. Blowing each other’s cover when it was convenient, challenging the other to a game of chess that took a turn for violence more often than not. Backstabbing was casual. It was how they expressed love. Scowls and animalistic snarls were normal, expected even.

But on a deeper level, he trusted Mabel with his life. When faced with a fatal situation, they had each other’s back. So affection was kept to a minimum, if showed at all, and he’d gained his fair share of marks from Mabel’s long claw like nails. 

 

Finding out that Mabel had been turned before him was a blow to his ego, and only pulled the twins farther apart. His Great Uncle Ford had disapproved,  saying it was important for the twins to remain as close as possible. He’d pushed them both into a room with a rabid Wendigo and locked the door. The results has left Dipper sans arm for a couple of days, and Mabel half bald. When they were let out, Dipper remembered holding Mabel’s hand tightly, refusing to let go, even though he was bleeding profusely, and delirious with near bloodlust. The twins had shared a sick bed, curled up together under the blankets, and slept peacefully for a few weeks.

From that incident, their bond had grown, and thus their relationship came to be what it was. Secrets were not a thing between each other, anything important was shared, and in private moments, comfort was provided where needed.  

 

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t endure a bit of teasing. With a out of character grin, he headed down to the local pharmacy.

 

Acquiring the appropriate medicine was simple enough. A quick prescription as written and Dipper had his hands on the bottles of a powerful painkiller, and antibiotics. As he was leaving, someone brushed into his shoulder, with a swift apology muttered under their breath. 

“Evening Tad.” Dipper said evenly, turning to lean against the door frame. “Mabel says she’s hasn’t seen you lately. “

“Tell her that I’ve got some business to finish up, but I’ll be there tonight.” Tad adjusted his tie. “How is she doing with Gideon?”

“Well, I think. Although I’d rather not get mixed up your snacks, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Of course, I’ll see you later tonight. Evening.” he ducked his head, and the two parted ways. 

 

Dipper had worked closely with Tad, and had often pulled bullets, shrapnel, and odd bits and pieces from the man’s body.  Tad had a knack for getting himself into violent situations, which was going to kill him eventually, Dipper swore up and down. But while being a danger magnet, he was incredibly clever, and insightful. 

Tad had spent years gaining trust with everyone around him, be it the barbour, the few dancers at the local club, or even the supermarket check-out lady. In addition to being a ruthless businessman, his natural leadership and charisma made it hard to dislike Tad, and it was very easy to fall into his web. Once getting in there was no getting out. It reached everyone, even if they didn’t realize it. And while he was engaged, (to Mabel of all girls) that certainly didn't stop him from using his body to his advantage. This fact occasionally concerned Dipper on behalf of his sister, but he paid it no true meaning. Information was information, regardless the force required to procure it.

 

Which of course meant there was an alarming amount of Tad’s children. The thought made Dipper sigh as he headed for his car. Tad refused to acknowledge the issue, instead ignoring it and favoring a childless lifestyle. Dipper was often trying to convince him to find good homes for the kids, or at least compensate the mothers, who now had a permanent tie to the business man. Tad was having none of it.

Before he could get the door open, he was reminded of another issue he had with Tad as an annoyingly sweet voice asked, 

“Dipper! How are you? It’s been so long since I last saw you!” Pacifica Southeast, in all her hot pink braces and silly bands glory, walked up behind him. Tad had insisted that since Pacifica wasn’t interested in anyone else in town, he lead her on for appearances sake, and for information. A true gossip like Pacifica was a great asset to Tad’s community, as Tad put it.Dipper sucked a breath, managed to force a charming smile. 

“Pacifica, I didn’t see you there. I’m well. And you?”

“I’m pretty good.” she grinned, flushing lightly. “Anything exciting happen recently?”

“Nothing that I can think of.” He smiled brighter, setting the prescription in his car. “What about you?” 

“Oh! Well my Uncle Bud is bringing in a huge shipment of new cars for his business! Isn’t that great? He says they’re brand new, latest model! I bet we’ll make a lot of money off of this!”

“How interesting. You’ll have to show me one of them, maybe let me test drive one?” he chuckled. 

“O-of course!” she said, stuttering over her words for a moment. It reminded Dipper of Will, and he quickly tried to end the conversation. 

“I’ll see you around, yes?”

“Yeah, of course! Oh hey, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out later tonight? I’ve rented that new horror movie and-”   
“Oh I’m so sorry to cut you off, but I’m taking care of a friend tonight.” Dipper took her hand, brushing a kiss to her knuckles. Pacifica's face flushed deep red. “Please forgive me. We’ll have to get together another time.”

“Oh…” Pacifica wilted, still reeling from Dipper’s kiss.  “Alright… I hope your friend feels better.” 

“Thank you.” Dipper nodded, and stepped into his car, driving away quickly. He rubbed his hand against his lips, scowling. Pacifica wasn’t the least bit appealing, her scent alone too sweet. But one must keep up appearances. And Tad had a point. 

 

Going clothing shopping was probably the most relaxing thing in the world for dipper. Strolling through different fabrics and styles, selecting things in calming cool tones, blues and greys and black and white. The hoodie he currently held in his hands was a soft pastel blue color, with a black block lettering on the front that read “Reality is an Illusion.” With a chuckle he threw it into his bag, and headed for the checkout. 

A trip to to the local grocery, and Dipper was on his way home. 

 

When he got back, Mabel was sitting in Will’s room, stitching something into a cloth pillow and humming to herself. There was a gentle blue glow surrounding her and william, which dissipated as Dipper walked into the room. Will lay asleep next to her, laying flat on his back, and breathing steadily.

“Embroidery?”

“What else am I to do while observing a comatose patient?” Dipper pressed a kiss to Mabel’s cheek. 

“Tad was at the pharmacy.” Dipper informed her. 

“Oh? Be a dear and tell him that I’m bringing Gideon to dinner.”

“You can tell him yourself. He said he’s got business to finish up, and he’ll be over to pick you up.”

Mabel pouted as she tugged at a thread. 

“How did you meet Gideon anyway?”

“I ran into him at the mall.” She giggled. “Helped him with some shopping.”

“Bet you stalked him like the creep you are.”

“Mm, he’s precious.” she sighed happily. 

“And you dear sister, are what we call a primal predator.” Dipper smirked. “I've got Will from here, thanks for watching him while I was out.” Mabel stood up, brushing past Dipper with an eye roll. 

Once the door was closed, Will sat up, startling Dipper a little.

“N-no offense, but she’s kinda scary…”

“That’s part of her charm.” Dipper smiled. “I’ve brought you a bottle of painkillers, and some antibiotics.”

“How did you get them?” Will eyed the paper bag warily.

“The pharmacy.”

“Did you forge a prescription?”

“I’m a doctor.”  
“Are you practicing?” Dipper chose not to answer, opting to unfold the top of the bag and pull out the bottles. 

“These should help with the pain, 2 every six hours. Take the antibiotics twice daily.”

“Why should I trust that these are antibiotics, and not just… something else?” Will eyes the bottle with distaste. 

“I suppose you could try them and we’ll see if your eye gets better.” Dipper teased “But in all honesty, they’re just medicine.” Will frowned, and set the pill bottles on the dresser. 

“You should sleep.”

“I’ve slept all day.”

“Take your meds and sleep.” Dipper smiled, his tone more forceful. Will leveled a glare at Dipper, but closed his eye and rolled over. Dipper left the room and dropped the smile. Tad stood in the hall, leaning against the wall, eyes trained on the closing door. Dipper felt his anger surge up in his gut, but took a calming breath.

“Who let you in?” Dipper said quietly. 

“Mabel.” Tad smirked. “Don’t look so pleased to see me.” Dipper offered a bitter smile. “You didn’t tell me you had a patient.” Tad crossed his arms.

“It’s not your business.” Dipper kept his stance in front of the door. “What did you need from me?”

“Oh come now, everything is my business. And I’m just stopping by the say hello.” tad grinned, his canine dug into his lip. “Hello, Dipper.”

“Tad.” Mabel stood at the bottom of the stairs. “Let’s go darling, Gideon just called.”

“Just a moment darling.” Tad said. He looked to Dipper, eyes hardening, I’d be careful who you harbour.” tad started down the stairs. “Let’s talk later tonight.” Dipper clenched his fist, but nodded. 

“Have a good night tad. Take care of my sister.”

“Of course.” Tad waved slid a hand behind Mabel’s waist, and ushered her out. Dipper let out a breath, sinking to the floor in the middle of the hallway. 

So Tad knew Will, and evidently didn’t like him. That created multiple problems. His relationship with Tad might end up jeopardized. But something told him he wasn't giving Will up. Will was  _ his. _ End of discussion. Behind him, the door opened quietly and Will stumbled down next to him. Dipper held out a hand to steady him, and asked, 

“What happened to sleeping?” Will shrugged. 

“I could hear you talking… to Tad.”

“How do you know him?”

Will fiddled with his hands, and glanced up at Dipper. 

“I’ll tell you if you tell me about your birthmark.”

“What, Ursa Major?”

“Y-yeah.” there was a flush to Will's’ cheeks that concerned Dipper. After a moment of staring, Dipper stood, helping Will to his feet. 

“Come on.” he led Will down the hall, grabbing a blanket from the closet, and stopping at the end under the attic stairs. Will’s eyes grew wide as he peered up into the attic. And then he was scrambling up the stairs.

  
  


Will pushed back the wave of nausea, and although he did feel sick, and his head throbbed, he pushed forward, excited to confirm his suspicions of the attic. He stumbled one on his way up the stairs. Dipper caught him with a steady hands. 

“Are you sure you're alright?”

“Yeah,” Will looked down at Dipper. His head swam a little, vision blurred, but he was mostly fine. Dipper looked concerned, his hand still resting on Will’s waist. Dimly, Will noted that Dipper’s fingers were cold. Not deathly cold, but cold enough to cause notice. His blue eyes were flicking between Will’s worried. Will stared intently at the irises of Dipper’s eyes, noting the ring of gray around the edges. 

“Just a little dizzy,” he mumbled softly. Dipper nodded, and squeezed Will’s waist lightly. 

“Let me know if it gets too bad.”

They continued up the ladder, climbing up into a circular room. Dipper caught Will’s hand before he got all the way up. 

“There’s not much to say about this,” he gestured towards his forehead. “Just that I go my nickname from it.” Will nodded, and pulled away. Dipper gave Will time to look around before he pulled a lever on the wall. Cranking gears and whirring machinery harmonized, exposing the brilliant night sky. Will felt his heart rate pick up, as suddenly all around him were stars and clouds, whole galaxies painted across his vision. Entirely enthralled, he didn’t realize Dipper was directly behind him until the youth’s hand was gesturing to a specific set of stars. 

“Ursa Major,” Dipper’s breath sent a chill down Will’s spine. “ The Roman goddess Juno turned her into a bear after she gave birth, claiming that the child had been fathered by Jupiter.” Will found himself leaning back into Dipper’s chest, seeking some kind of warmth. He found none, and suppressed a shiver. Did Dipper have absolutely  _ no _ body heat? Dipper paused, glancing down at Will. 

“Are you cold?”

“A little.” Will said, clenching his teeth together to keep them from chattering. Dipper gave a quiet laugh, and left Will’s side. He rummaged about in a trunk for a moment, and returned with a red blanket. It was soft to the touch, and Will was enveloped with the scent of pine cones and cinnamon as Dipper wrapped it around his shoulders. Content now that Will was warm, Dipper continued his story. 

“Jupiter turned the child into a bear, and sent them among the heavens to be safe from Juno’s wrath.” Will stared up at the sky, tracing the lines of The Big Dipper with his eyes. 

“There’s more to the story..” he said quietly. “The child tried to kill his mother… he didn’t know it was her… that’s why Jupiter turned him into a bear.”

“What do you think that means?” Dipper asked. There was a light tone to his words, almost teasing.

“Under what context?”

“Do you think it was right for Jupiter to keep them bears?”  
“He saved them both, didn’t he?” Will found it hard not to lean back into Dipper’s chest, especially after he’d draped a blanket over Will's’ shoulders. Dipper’s natural scent was something like pine. Maybe his body wash? Will tried to focus. “Two lives, instead of one.”

“That’s fair.” Dipper mumbled quietly. 

“It’s beautiful up here.” Will commented.  For a moment, he could forget the pain throbbing in his head. Could forget his worry and fear of Tad. Forget his nerves and anxiety. Dipper had his hands wrapped around Will’s torso, leaning forward and breathing close behind his ear. 

“What are you thinking right now?” 

The question startled Will for a moment, and he found it hard to speak. 

“I-uhm, I mean-” he swallowed.

“Just the first word.” Dipper said. His voice was quiet, and Will found himself straining to hear more of it. 

“S-stars.” he said shakily, trying to flick his eyes back to glimpse Dipper. He couldn’t, but he also couldn’t turn. Dipper had him in a locked grip. Will suddenly became aware of his breathing, and the movement of Dipper’s stomach against his back, and the cool hands at the hem of his t shirt under the blanket. The breath fanning over his ear, and the sound of Dipper whispering, 

“Oh, thou art fairer than the evening air clad in the beauty of a thousand stars.” Dipper’s voice was ethereal. “Christopher Marlowe.”

“Wh-who was he?” will hated the quiver in his voice, but ignored it for now.

“Something like Shakespeare. A poet, a play write.” Dipper’s hand found his, and held it gently. “He was thought to be gay. He made a comment about liking tobaccos and boys. Although there’s no solid evidence, it’s still debated.”

“How do you kno-ow all of this?” Will asked. “You’re a doc-octor.”

“I like history as much as the next guy.” Dipper shrugged. “Your turn. How do you know Tad?”

“You n-never actually answered my first q-question.” Will accused stubbornly. Dipper let out a huff of a laugh. 

“If I must. Although it is just a birthmark, what’s to tell? I was teased for it, children are ruthless.” he shrugged. “Does that satisfy you?” will hummed, a neutral tone. 

“I suppose.” 

“How do you know Tad?” Dipper prodded again. 

“I-I worked wi- fo-for him.” Will swallowed, trying to push down the rising panic. “He -um, He p-pi-pick-icked me up as a -a c-carrier.”

“How’d you lose your eye?” Dipper’s voice was tender, and curious. Still, Will didn’t want to say anything. So he didn’t. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well hey hey hey lookie here! sorry for the long wait. hope you like it! I'd love to hear some theories, some ideas, some thoughts. Just let me know what you think! thanks again for reading! hope you enjoy!


	4. Update:I'm ridiculously sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry

Alright friends, near family, enemies all y'all gather round, I got some tea to spill. 

It's 2019. New start, fresh pages, new bottles of ink and quills all over the place. 

Evidently it has been a long time since I last updated, I don't even know if anyone is interested in this (holler if you are)

You know when you write something that has a bigger plot line that requires more time than you have to plan and write? Yeah, that's the tea. 

So, unfortunately, and it kills me to say this, I'll be putting this on hold, it will be marked as completed (or almost) 

New fandoms have come to light *cough*marvel*cough* 

My life has changed drastically, and it's been a long time since bill dip or willdip has been in my foreground. 

And as said previously, there's so much plot to this that I don't know if I can even explain. So in return for you all not hating me, I'll be posting a new fic, marvel based, and also writing up a sort of wrap up chapter that will be chapter 5 to this story I the next week. 

Thank you again to everyone who's given me love for this, know that I'm mot official dropping this I'm just moving forward until I have time to come back to it.

Thank you all so much, have a wonderful 2019. Hope to see you soon,  
L.T.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations

Several hours after he’d taken Will to bed, the front door opened. Dipper frowned when he didn’t hear Mabel's obnoxious giggle. It was a bit early for her to be back, but one could never be sure with Mabel. 

When Dipper made it to the kitchen to investigate, he sighed at what he found, rubbing his face in exasperation.    
“Ford.” the old man was going through the blood in the fridge.”

“Ah, Hello Mason.”

“What do you want?”

“Can't an uncle visit his niece and nephew?” Ford’s eyes flashed a dangerous red color. “After all, I took you in when your parents died. Have a little respect.”

“You killed my parents.”

“Still hung up on that, are we,” Ford tsked. 

“No. That was a long time ago.” Dipper crossed his arms. “Why are you here?”

“The council is down a member.” Ford selected a bag and shut the fridge.

“Who?” Dipper leaned against a cabinet.

“Gabriel’s gone. They've asked me to step in.” Ford said, slicing a small hole in the corner of the bag and sucking on it lightly.

“How is Gabriel gone? and why you? They already have Julius.”

“I’m temporary.” Ford said. “They haven’t found Gabriel’s remains.”

“Did he ascend?” 

“He must have. We’re not sure yet.” he finished the blood bag, tossed it in the sinks and started washing his hands. 

“You're welcome.” Dipper said dryly. Ford gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“My pleasure.” Ford dried his hands, and turned, taking a long deep breath.

“Who are you keeping here? It’s not Gideon’s scent.”   
“I’m helping out a friend. He’s injured.”

“Since when do you assist injured humans? I thought you were past all that. No longer practicing. At least Gideon is food.” Ford's tone grew icy. “You’re job as one of us is to prey on the weak. Death is natural, and we keep the earth clean. I’m already unhappy with Mabel’s decision to keep Gideon permanently. Don’t make me cross. If your friend finds out what you are, there will be consequences. Do you understand me, Mason?”

Dipper levelled his glare with Ford’s and nodded.

“Good. I want him gone as soon as possible. I’ll be staying in my old room. Just until they find Gabriel’s replacement.” Again, Dipper nodded. Ford walked away towards the basement.

“Dipper, we’re home!” Mabel called. Dipper took a breath, trying to calm down his raging instincts. 

“Ford's here.” he said quietly. Mabel frowned, the twins glanced to each other, taking silent comfort in number. 

Tad walked in, pulling a blushing and giggling Gideon.

“Evening Dipper.” 

“Hey Tad.” Dipper glanced to Gideon. 

“He’s drunk.” Mabel explained. “We’ll be in the north wing if you need us.”

“Consent isn't valid unless he's sober.”

“I'm well aware.” she tossed him a willing smile.  

“Mind if I speak to tad for a moment?”

“Of course.” Tad remained while the others went upstairs. 

“What’s eating you?” he asked. Dipper growled. He was reluctant to tell Tad, especially after the incident with Will. But he trusted Tad, to some extent, and he was involved in the council as Julius’ understudy. 

“Gabriel’s ascended. Ford's here.” Tad’s brows knit together. “Are they sure?”   
“Not yet. They’re looking for a replacement all the same.” Dipper crossed his arms. “If you tell Mabel, please do it gently. She was close friends with Gabriel.”

“We all were.” Tad mused. “But for him to just… leave, it’s rather odd, don’t you think?”   
“What are you suggesting?” 

“Perhaps he didn’t ascend.”

“Do you think he maybe-”

“Tad!” Mabel stood in the hallway. “Gideon’s asking for you.” she directed a glare at Dipper. 

“Well, I can’t say no. Dipper, we’ll continue this later.” Tad gave a Dipper a sly smile and a nod, and left with Mabel. Dipper was left to stare at the ceiling and contemplate just how much shit had hit the fan. 

  
  
  


Pyronica paced through her kitchen. Will was supposed to be back the night previous. Two days later, and he still wasn’t home, and Pyronica felt nauseous. Wendy wasn’t exactly helping. 

“Py I’m sure he’s fine. He probably…” Wendy trailed off, unable to come up with an excuse. 

“Exactly, Wendy. Will always comes home. He’s probably dead. Oh god. … what if Tad got to him? What if-”

“Hey, breathe, Will has no connections to Tad. Tad won’t find him.”   
“But what if he has?”

“He hasn't.” Wendy said firmly. She knew that Pyronica didn't know about Will’s job as a courier,  but she hoped it hadn't gotten him killed.

  
  


Will woke early. It was dark outside, snow falling silently. The house was quiet, but the thought remained in his head that Tad was here. That fact froze Will's blood in his veins, pain pumping adrenaline through him. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Will closed his eye, trying to breathe. To convince himself that his worst nightmare wasn’t asleep down the hall. Tried to breathe. Tried to force his lungs to function, to push past the clogged paranoia, but couldn’t. Suddenly his heartbeat was too loud, his breaths quick and shallow, limbs shaking. Tad was here. He was going to lose another eye. Maybe a hand. For missing work. Tad was going to take him apart piece by piece until there was nothing left. The door opened and Will flinched back, shaking violently as he stuttered out a plea. 

“P-please don't hurt m-me!” his voice shook so badly he wasn't sure if he could be understood. The silhouette paused, and the lights slowly turned on. 

“Will? Will, it’s me. It’s Dipper.”

Dipper?

“Will take a breath for me. Look at me, and breathe.” Dipper was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing soothing circles into Will’s hand. Will coughed through is tears, stuttered through a breath and broke down again. Suddenly Dipper was very close, his forehead pressed to Will's, and Will could hear him breathing deeply. 

“Try to match me.” Dipper said softly, placing Will’s hand over his chest. They sat like this a few moments.

Somehow, Will managed to take a breath. Slowly he calmed. When he could think clearly, Dipper pulled Will into a hug, rubbing his shoulder. 

“It’s okay. No one’s going to hurt you.” Dipper whispered. Will blinked away silent tears, relaxing into Dipper’s hold. Belatedly, he realized he was cradled in Dipper’s lap. But Dipper smelled nice. Musky body wash, mild shampoo a natural  _ Dipper  _ smell.

Neither of them said anything, which was fine with both parties. Simply staying, breaths even. With his ear pressed to Dipper’s shoulder, Will listened for a heart beat. He found none. 

“Dipper?” he said quietly, begging the universe to be wrong. 

“Mm?”

“You don’t have a heartbeat.” Will felt Dipper stiffen. 

“What do you mean?”

“Wewell… i c-can’t he-ear one..” Will felt his face grow red, and was glad it was dark. Because as rational as it was to question Dipper’s lack of heartbeat, somehow Will felt embarrassed for bringing it up. 

“S-sorry….”

“No it's fine. Why don’t you get some sleep? No one is going to hurt you while you’re here. I promise.” Will frowned. 

“You didn’t -didn't answer me-me.” 

“Your panic attack was pretty serious.” Dipper insisted. “Don’t worry about it. All you need to focus on it getting some sleep.” Gently Dipper tucked Will in. 

Will frowned deeper, watched the door close. Again, more questions arose and no answers responded. This was infuriating. And as soon as he could, Willl was going to go demand answers from Dipper. 

Right after he slept a bit. 

In his defence, the bed was rather comfortable. 

 

About a week or so passed. Will didn’t leave the room other than to use the facilities, and even that was an en suite. The pain behind his eye slowly faded, until it was a dull phantom ache. The day Dipper announced the bandages could come off the was the best day of Will’s life at the house. He waited with a giddy smile as Dipper cleaned his eye for the last time. Will gently probed the area with his fingertips. Regarding his face in the the mirror. The ugly red lines weren’t bleeding, or as irritated, but they were still tender. Will’s giddy smile dropped a bit, curving into a frown as he leaned closer. 

“Obviously, it’s not completely healed and it will still hurt a little.”

Dipper stood behind Will in the bathroom, a full head taller, chest nearly pressed to Will's back in the tiny space. 

With steady hands, he slid a soft leather eye patch over Will’s eye and tied the strings carefully. His hands rested on Will's shoulder, and they watched each other in the mirror.

“Dipper… thank you… for everything.” 

“You’re welcome.” Dipper smiled, and as Will glanced to his teeth in the mirror  his canines seemed suddenly too sharp. He frowned again, and sighed.

“This has been great, but I need some questions answered.” Will's hold on the counter tightened. “There are too many… miscrepancies,” he stuttered badly over that word, “And-”

“Let's go get coffee.” Dipper’s eyes were on the door, hands tight on Will's shoulders. 

“No. I want.-”

“I know. I can’t do  any of that here. So,” Dipper hissed, then raised his voice. 

“Let’s go get coffee.” Will felt Dipper’s grip grow to a bruising strength, and for a moment, he was terrified. 

“S-sure.”

Dipper guided Will out to his car, passing someone in the kitchen. 

“It’s good to see you on your feet.” the stranger said. Will paused, but Dipper kept pressing his shoulder, forcing him to keep walking. 

“We’re going out. We’ll be back later.” Dipper glared. Will let out a squeak as he was dragged out to the garage. 

  
  


Dipper didn't speak as he drove to the diner. Hands tight on the steering wheel, eyes straight ahead. Will shook slightly in his seat, feeling waves of anger rolling off of Dipper. He could feel something telling him to run, to get out of the car as soon as possible. He ignored it. 

When Dipper finally stopped the car, Will spoke. 

“What are you?”

“Come on. We’re not having a Twilight moment. I refused to be compared to that sparkly dumbass.” Dipper grunted, stepping out of the car. Will followed, morbidly curious as Dipper led the way into a local diner. Once they were seated, Dipper watched Will carefully as he said,

“I’m a vampire. Potentially dangerous.”

“Occupational hazard.” Will commented. 

“I’m not going to make you stay away. If you want to risk your neck, that’s your decision.” Dipper paused, taking a breath. “Your questions?”

“You drink blood. Why?”

“Blood contains oxygen. I have no heartbeat, nothing to regulate the oxygen to my brain, so I drink it directly.” Will opened his mouth, but Dipper kept talking. “If I stop, I last perhaps a few painful weeks before blood lust.”

“How often do you have to drink to avoid blood lust? And what is blood lust? Can’t you breathe in oxygen? And your heartbeat, does your heart just not work or is it-” Dipper put up a hand to stop him, and flashed a smile at the waitress as she approached. 

“Welcome to Greasy’s, what can I get you?” Her voice was oddly pitched, and her lashes fluttered.

“Just two small coffees, thanks.” She blushed at his smile. 

“Coming right up.” She gave an awkward giggle after she finished. Dipper kept smiling. He turned to Will now and said,

“Slow down. We have plenty of time.” He flashed his teeth at Will. “I have to drink at least once everyday. I get dizzy if I don’t, and if I go more than a week, my body suffers something like the common cold, only without the actual bacterium. It's more like extreme exhaustion.” Dipper paused gauging Will's reaction. The human looked a little pale, and his heart rate was raised slightly. Nothing too concerning. “I’ve only experienced  blood lust once, and all I can say, is that there is no controlling the instinctual need for blood. It felt like drowning, like I would die if I didn't get blood quickly.” Will swallowed, but nodded, waiting for Dipper to continue. 

“To answer your next few questions, my body is frozen in the state of a nineteen year old. None of my organs functions, which means that my lungs wouldn’t carry oxygen to brain through my heart because none of it is actually working. Drinking it allows the oxygen to absorb into my cells and get where it needs to.” will nodded. He looked like a understood and asked, 

“How old are you?”

“I was born in 1890. I've never bothered to count, so do the math I guess.” Will let out a slow breath.

“So why didn't you kill me when you found me in the alleyway?” 

“You smelled so good. I did want to kill you. I did.”

“Why didn't you?”

“I don't know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all your love. Also thank you past me for having most of this already written out.   
> Hope you enjoy it, and have a wonderful new year!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, this is a kinda one shot until further notice, I'm so sorry about the Sanctuary, i haven't been on there forever, and i'm currently writing chapter 7. Please be patient! until then, enjoy some Reverse! BillDip? *humbly offers this story* I hope you enjoy.


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